‘Dancing With the Stars’ 2015: Willis and Lynch Tied on Top in 1st Night of Season 20 Finale

— -- It started with 12 stars competing for the mirror ball trophy, and tonight three finalists delivered two intense rounds of dance in their bid to emerge as the season 20 champion of "Dancing With the Stars."

Army veteran Noah Galloway, 33; actress Rumer Willis, 26; and R5 band member Riker Lynch, 23, each did one ballroom style of dance -- a reprise of a performance they'd done previously on the show -- plus a freestyle routine. At the end of the night, Willis and Lynch were tied for first place with two perfect scores each, followed by Galloway in second place.

The judges' scores will be combined with viewers' votes. The finalist with the highest combined total of judges' scores and viewer votes will be announced the winner during the second part of the two-part finale tomorrow night.

The season began in March with Willis, Lynch, Galloway, actresses Suzanne Somers and Willow Shields, "Shark Tank" star Robert Herjavec, "Bachelor" star Chris Soules, football player Michael Sam, Olympian Nastia Liukin, singer Patti LaBelle, model Charlotte McKinnney and musician RedFoo.

Shields and Liukin were strong contenders who consistently scored highly. Shields' mid-season elimination came as a shock to fans and judges, as did Liukin's elimination during the semi-finals.

Willis had been considered the one to watch since the season's premiere, when she took the lead with a passionate and skillful foxtrot with partner Val Chmerkovskiy, and she continued to impress judges, scoring at or near the top of the leaderboard consistently.

Lynch, too, has scored at or near the top of the leaderboard, pleasing judges with his charisma and increasing technical ability on the dance floor.

Galloway, who lost an arm and a leg in a bombing in Iraq, has scored mostly in the middle or bottom of the pack throughout the season but his adaptability and determination which have won him fans and favor with the judges.

The Routines

Noah Galloway: Judges found that the Army veteran's repeat of his Argentine tango displayed more confidence but they said it appeared as though nerves affected his performance, leading to some unsteadiness. Head judge Len Goodman said he saw improvement in this performance, and Julianne Hough said she thought the routine was "so much easier" and calmer than the last time. Inaba said the routine was "very hard for me to watch" because of the nerves, and Bruno Tonioli noted that a lift was off balance, but added: "You still have the freestyle to come." Galloway earned four 8s for a total of 32 out of a possible 40 points.

Galloway's poignant contemporary freestyle dance earned him a standing ovation from the ballroom audience and all three judges. "Your journey has been the hardest and the longest and as we've nearly reached journey's end I've got to say, that was amazing," Goodman said. Hough said she saw the routine as "a celebration," further praising Galloway's pro partner, Sharna Burgess, for the choreography and intricacy of the routine, as well as Galloway's connection with Burgess and the other dancers who were part of the performance. Tonioli said the routine felt as though Galloway was "speaking to us from your heart … so truthful, so meaningful." Inaba said what Galloway did was "beyond words," adding that he'd shown over and over again what art truly is. Galloway earned four 10s for a total of 40 points.

Riker Lynch: The R5 band member's finished his Capt. Jack Sparrow-inspired paso doble to a standing ovation and thunderous round of applause from the ballroom audience and a rare standing ovation from Goodman, who called it "absolutely a swashbuckling performance," adding: "It was flamboyant, it was full of devil-may-care attitude. Riker, that was epic. I loved it." Tonioli said he loved the way Lynch brought to life the "magnificent eccentricity" of the character while giving "a treasure trove of content." Hough said she felt this performance improved on the first one, and Inaba said: "It just got exciting in here." Lynch earned four 10s, for a perfect score of 40 points.

Lynch's freestyle -- a fun, jazzy/hip-hip mash-up -- had judges likening him to dance legend Fred Astaire. Tonioli said the routine was like watching Astaire re-invented for a new generation, and Inaba praised Lynch's "incredible showmanship." Added Hough: "That was a true freestyle if I've ever seen one," while Goodman told Lynch he was proud of him. "You have brought the past into the present. Well done." Lynch earned four 10s for a total of 40 points.

Rumer Willis: The actress also earned cheers and a standing ovation for the repeat of her premiere night foxtrot. Hough called the routine "flawless," saying there was "no timidness" in Willis' performance. Pointing to his critique of her on the season's first night, when he told her this could be her season, Goodman said "Nothing's changed. Only you're dancing's so much better … Great." Inaba called the performance "poetry in motion," while Tonioli said it was "no nonsense, absolute pure ballroom bliss." Willis earned four 10s for a total of 40 points.

For her tango-inspired freestyle, Willis danced to her own cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic," with pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy accompanying on violin on the recording. Tonioli called the performance "a dance of luscious beauty and bewitching intensity." Inaba said that her job as a judge was to watch while critiquing many different things, but she then told Willis: "But when I watch you, I watch you just as a dancer." Goodman liked that the performance didn't include other dancers -- unlike the other two freestyle routines. "No group of people. Straight into the performance. It was pure … It's great. Well done," he said. Hough added that Willis showed her vulnerable side, becoming raw and honest. "It was so on point, and that is what a freestyle is," she said. Willis earned four 10s for a total of 40 points.

Tonight's Scores (First Routine, Second Routine. Grand Total)

Riker Lynch and Allison Holker: 40; 40. Total: 80

Rumer Willis and Valentin Chmerkovskiy: 40; 40. Total: 80

Noah Galloway and Sharna Burgess: 32; 40. Total: 72